Explore ruins

Liam paused, surveying his surroundings. Crouching low, he could sense a subtle change in elevation. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm in a basin," he deduced.

Looking back the way he came, the distant scenery was blurred, the horizon partially obscured. To the west, he could clearly feel the terrain sloping upwards.

After careful observation, Liam located the ruin. "So this... is where the prehistoric ruins are?" he wondered aloud.

It was a small hill, similar in size to his shelter. Due to the surrounding terrain, rainwater had accumulated around the hill, forming large puddles. If not for the map markings and the presence of the ruin, this location, with proper drainage, would have been an excellent spot for a shelter.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Oreo returned from his scouting mission, seeking his master's instructions.

The heavy rain had left the area surrounding the ruin heavily flooded. Even with his raincoat, Oreo couldn't wade through the water.

Seeing Oreo's apprehension, Liam said firmly, "I have to explore this ruin. It's the only treasure location we know of nearby. You wait here for me; I'll go alone."

"Woof?" Oreo whined, reluctant to be separated from his master.

Liam knelt down and patted Oreo's head reassuringly. "Don't worry, keep watch for me outside. The acid rain inside is very dangerous. If you touch it..." Liam paused for dramatic effect.

"Fwoosh! All your fur will be gone!"

Oreo, who had been eager to explore, was startled by Liam's words. His eyes conveyed a mixture of fear, grievance, and reluctance, but he obediently sat down and wagged his fluffy tail.

Liam stood up, took a deep breath, and pulled out his raincoat from the inventory. The streamlined raincoat didn't hinder his movements. After checking for any tears or leaks, Liam began carefully wading through the water towards the ruin.

He was about two hundred meters away from the hill. The water level had already risen above his ankles.

Liam decided to take a detour, circling around to the back of the hill where the water might be shallower.

The rain had turned the soil into mud, making each step a struggle. Sometimes, his leg would sink in up to his calf, and he had to expend considerable effort to pull it out.

It took him over twenty minutes to cover a mere 150 meters, wading through the water. As the terrain gradually rose, the soil became firmer, and the water level receded.

However, the numerous footprints scattered on the ground made Liam's heart clench. These footprints looked fresh, their shapes still clearly visible despite the rain.

There were footprints with two-toed forks and others that resembled those of a feline. He even found a few strands of fur caught in the mud.

Liam carefully picked up a strand of fur and examined it closely. "This definitely looks like feline fur. With this kind of resilience, it can't be from an ordinary animal," he thought.

Feeling uneasy, Liam opened the game panel and activated the monster identification scan.

"[No mutated beasts detected within one thousand meters of the player.]

[Today's uses: 1/3]"

"Strange. Felines are very territorial. If they were here, there should be markings," Liam thought, puzzled.

Cats used claw marks and urine to mark their territory, informing other animals of their presence and preventing conflicts.

Liam looked around but couldn't find any such markings.

"Is this blood?" he wondered as he reached the side of the hill.

He found a patch of reddish-brown that had seeped into the soil. Liam bent down and sniffed the ground. Besides the earthy smell after the rain, he could detect a faint metallic scent of blood.

There was also a significant amount of fur near the bloodstain.

And...signs of an explosion.

"What is this? Was this... bombed by a grenade?" Liam was bewildered.

The closer he got to the side of the hill, the more animal traces he found. When he finally rounded the corner, he was shocked to discover a patch of scorched earth.

The grass around the area was lush and green, but the center was barren.

The shape of the blast zone was unusual. Based on the central explosion point, the diameter was only about fifty centimeters.

Furthermore, the ground itself hadn't been significantly disturbed. This didn't seem consistent with a typical explosion from a grenade or other explosive device.

A sense of foreboding crept into Liam's heart.

He quickly returned to the center of the hill and followed the highest point. As he neared the end, he found more signs of explosions.

At the very front, there was a gaping hole.

"???"

"Has someone already been here?" Liam wondered.

He took out his flashlight and peered into the hole.

The drop to the bottom was about four meters, similar to the height of his shelter. The structure gave Liam a strange sense of familiarity.

"Why does this feel so familiar? Is this really not a human shelter?" Liam was filled with questions.

Should he go down and investigate? The thought took root in his mind and quickly grew.

Everything about this place was strange: the mysterious feline fur, the small, precise blast zones, and the structure that resembled a human shelter. All of this shrouded the underground ruin in an air of mystery.

Liam opened his inventory and, after some consideration, decided to use the most primitive method: weaving a rope.

The four-meter drop was easy to descend, but climbing back up would be difficult.

He took out two units of plant fiber and sat by the hole, carefully weaving the strands together. In less than twenty minutes, he had created a three-meter-long rope.

Liam then took out two units of iron blocks and tied one end of the rope to them, creating a simple climbing apparatus. He was grateful for having joined the DIY club in college. This simple task might have been challenging for others.

After making all the necessary preparations, Liam tested the area by tossing small stones into the hole, ensuring there were no traps. He then began his descent into the ruin.

He had read plenty of tomb-raiding novels, but the reality was far more daunting.

With the flashlight clenched between his teeth, Liam gripped the rope and slid down. The rough texture of the plant fibers provided good friction, but he still had to exert considerable strength to control his descent.

When he was about a meter from the bottom, Liam let go of the rope, landing firmly on the ground.

He gasped for breath, his lungs burning from holding his breath during the descent. But when he looked up and shone his flashlight forward, his heart skipped a beat.

A person (x)

A skeleton (✓)

Even though he had dealt with five bandits just last night, the sight of a skull lying on the ground,

it makes Liam scared.